Dreams

Roses are red
and I am so blue
thoughts of you swirl
like a dust-devil
in my head
as I lie awake
unable to dream
counting the days, hours, minutes
and nanoseconds
until I finally get
to touch, to hold
to talk to
and to see
you
but for that
I have to close my eyes
and dream
alas!
even that
I cannot
do.

(from SAYA to the non-existent...)

By the way, I wonder about some (voyeurs? as in like to watch but don't blog themselves) who go around analysing others thoughts and writings and words...why can't they just let them be human? Must everything be analysed to death? I find it extremely patronising...maybe they should analyse themselves...could gain much insight there into how much too highly they think of themselves compared to the reality of his/her creation from the lowly spermatozoa. Same as everyone else. Gray matter is too highly overrated over the real brain beating in the chest cavity.

I took my kids to see Hannah Montana the Movie today. I thought it would be hell, but I loved it! Laughed. I even cried. My heart soared. The gamut of emotions. Miley Cyrus can act, but her daddy Billy Ray Cyrus is Mr Wooden...hahaha...of course, the part that got me crying was when her crush misunderstood her and said it was over. Darn. I felt like a bloody teenager... I loved this song she sang about her Dad and her:




Butterfly Fly Away
Songwriters: Ballard, Glen; Silvestri, Alan;
You tucked me in, turned out the light
Kept me safe and sound at night
Little girls depend on things like that

Brushed my teeth and combed my hair
Had to drive me everywhere
You were always there when I looked back

You had to do it all alone
Make a living, make a home
Must have been as hard as it could be

And when I couldn't sleep at night
Scared things wouldn't turn out right
You would hold my hand and sing to me

Caterpillar in the tree
How you wonder who you'll be
Can't go far but you can always dream

Wish you may and wish you might
Don't you worry, hold on tight
I promise you there will come a day
Butterfly fly away

Butterfly fly away, butterfly fly away
Flap your wings now you can't stay
Take those dreams and make them all come true

Butterfly fly away, butterfly fly away
We've been waiting for this day
All along and knowing just what to do
Butterfly, butterfly, butterfly, butterfly fly away

Butterfly fly away
Butterfly fly away

Nice movie...(I think I need to see adults more often...hahaha)
Oh..Maryam just passed me this note...

this is a song i wrote for u!


Your (sic) my beautiful lady
your the apple of my eye
your the only mother that I have
your the only thing that I have
And that is why I will always love and kiss u
Thank you
YOU ARE MY ANGEL

I miss u!
Coz your (sic) the greatest thing that ever happened to me
Your my angel
my love
and someday you'll be my hero (why someday Maryam? haha...)


Maryam and Sakinah, you are my angels too...
I love you both very much.
But your love scares me. To bits.


ok...gotta go upstairs and golek with them on the bed...heavenly pastime, talking and cuddling with them....

Fearful not fearless

Someone said I was fearless. Most people think I'm fearless. Maybe its the way I write and speak publicly. I could go up to Obama if I get to meet him and tell him point blank to stop murdering those innocent peoples of Iraq, Pakistan and elsewhere. Tell him to quit being an Israeli lap wardog and the Arab/Muslim leaders to get (or at least buy with the billions) a spine and a couple of balls.

But inside...privately...

I'm not. Fearless, I mean.

I'm afraid of the dark ( I sleep with the TV on, the light on most times...and end up dead tired the next day from all the noise and emissions...I mean, get real lah...do hantus care if its pitch dark or light when its 3 am and you're all alone...they're gonna come anyway, kan?)

I'm afraid of heights.

I'm afraid of venturing into large bodies of water coz they give me the sinking feeling that I could get sucked in and never get spat out ever again. Meaning drown.

I'm afraid of hantus revealing themselves to me (they can stay invisible I don't care)

I'm afraid of LRTs that drive themselves. (you people are fools trusting driverless vehicles!)

I'm afraid of getting stuck in lifts (coz they act weird when I'm in them...they just know its me and the doors sometimes refuse to shut, or they don't move, or get stuck between floors...then I feel like I'm going to die and pass out right there and then...and when they had their fun with me...they start moving again...I always know which ones are going to act up)

I fear going to huge malls, coz I can't stand too much visual/aural stimulation and I get vertigo and panic attacks thanks to childbirth (I wish all malls were like the Great Eastern Mall)

I'm claustrophobic...I get the fcuk out when people start piling themselves into the same lift or train or bus, and scream at them to CLEAR THE AREA! for my exit.

I'm afraid of lightning coz I think God is going to strike me down dead for my insurmountable sins (though I know He is Merciful, I'm not sure if I deserve that Mercy) and because my TV and modem blew up next to me once...and once was enough to make me almost pee in my pants

I'm afraid of getting in a car accident and ending up like Niki Catsouras (yet I drive like a maniac...google her and see what I mean)

I'm afraid of pencuris breaking into my house and harming my kids while I'm asleep given the increasing crime rates (so I keep my golf driver next to me to bash the heads out of anyone who dares to do so...wish I had a Glock, but I'm very trigger happy, and half the people around me might end up dead...so that's not quite a good idea)

I'm afraid people won't like me

I'm afraid I might say the wrong thing again and hurt someone or make them angry (which I know I always end up doing)

I'm afraid of trusting anyone ever again (yet I blindly do over and over, baring my heart and soul and guts to all and sundry only to have it all thrown back at me)

I'm afraid that I will let those around me and who need me down (but do it all the time despite trying hard not to)

I'm afraid that once someone falls in love with me
he will fall out of love again when he knows the real me

I'm afraid
of ending up alone
(yet I cherish my moments of solitude and quiet..)

I'm afraid of
every
stupid thing
real or
imagined

Heck, I even scare myself with scary thoughts.
That are not even real.

I'm afraid to be happy too.
Coz I think it won't last.

Or it won't be
true.

Or real.

Says a lot about one's iman doesn't it?

Need to re-examine my faith methinks...

Cherating...

(pics of actual view from room)

...is no longer what it used to be. It has become another tong sampah of the Orient. If I were in charge, I would have beach patrols who would make the beach BUMS as in "IDIOTS" eat the rubbish they throw on the once pristine beach, especially the diapers strewn about...those I would make the mums who chuck them on the beach eat them, after I wipe their faces in the faeces left by their soon-to-grow-up-to-be-just-like-em baby bums, followed by 1000 hours of sampah collecting community service. We need enforcement and some balls as in teloq to act to save our beaches in the local councils. Sadly, the kind of teloq needed in government to educate and instill fear into our people to forcibly chnage their degil, slum, sewer mentality towards our environment and cleanliness is lacking as much as the grey material in the latter.

We found a spot, not far from where I used to camp with Aween and gang in 1986 though, that was relatively rubbish free and managed to have a good dip before we went on to Kemaman and Teluk Cempedak.


Kemaman...

Nasi dagang breakfast by the road to Kemaman in the morning drizzle

Kemaman fishermens' jetty

Famous kopitiam in Kemaman town

...there's no where else like Terengganu. Simple, rustic beauty, great food and...dirt poor people. Funny considering its like Dallas. Maybe the JR Ewings of Terengganu have bolot all the oil wealth...leaving nothing for their people who really need them. I wondered, as I passed through this town/state that I love so much, what the sovereign of the state feels and thinks when he passes through. Maybe he is thinking about the next endurance race. I don't really know...but I'm thinking his horses eat more than the villagers of Kuala Kemaman in their dilapidated, patched up like a crazy quilt, once lovely kampung houses by the jetty. And I'm thinking so much can be done with that billion ringgit oil royalty...but I'm just a housewife. What do I know. I'm not thinking masjid Kristal...I'm thinking more quality of life. I'm not much of a businessperson too I guess. Only businesspeople run governments nowdays..or rather people who aim to become businesspeople.

One day, God Willing, I will live out my dream of getting a piece of kampung beach-front real estate in Ganu Kite...and build my Ganu House.Ganu House...a gem...

Toilets...

I have never been to so many public toilets of all shapes and conditions in three days on the road...its the age factor...and the fact that children were sucked, vaccumed and forceped out of me. And my belly slashed open too. And there were only two of them.

Any more and I would have to wear adult diapers.

This is the ONE time, I wish I had one of those mindless dicks that piss me off so much (puns intended) I could just whip out and...and...and...pee with...instead of going through the intricacies women have to go through in their toileting.

No mean feat in 'em public toilets full of other people's shit.

(pics courtesy of Aween)

Obama continues the slaughter in the name of Osama...

From NBC’s Scott Foster
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA -- White House officials are claiming the bin Laden message aired today on Al Jazeera is proof al Qaeda feels threatened by the President's outreach to the Muslim world.

A senior administration official noted yesterday's release of a Zawahiri tape, along with today's new tape, explaining, "You wouldn't see two videos this close together if they thought this was going well."

(really? I would think Bin laden is warning the Saudi traitors and other puppet-Arab nations not to be too chummy with this smooth talking murderer Obama...a smooth talking war criminal reaching out to the Muslim nations while widening the slaughter in Pakistan/Iraq/Afghanistan...a smooth talker like Obama is more dangerous than a bumbling fool like Bush...with Bush at least we know what he is...didn't we?)

Americans using white Phosphorus in Afghanistan here...the same weapons highlighted in my petition to the ICJ to try Israel for war crimes here...bapak (Israel) borek, anak (US) rintik....

To my friends who haven't signed the petition yet...please do as my friend Chester Riese who put it up for me online will be sending it off this month, graciously offering to bear all costs. Thanks Chet!

Are You Scared? - Twelve words meaning "fear" in the Qur'an

Are You Scared? - Twelve words meaning "fear" in the Qur'an

From Muslim Matters (lifted from Zendra's blog)

Bismillah

[Written by Amatullah]

A few days ago, we had our weekly tafseer of Juz Amma class with br Nouman at the masjid and he briefly covered some different words used for fear in the Qur’an. I was very fascinated by these words so I decided to do a bit more research on their meanings and usage in the Qur’an and share what I’ve learned as the weekly Saturday tafseer post on MM.

The Oxford dictionary defines fear as:

• noun 1 an unpleasant emotion caused by the threat of danger, pain, or harm. 2 the likelihood of something unwelcome happening.

• verb 1 be afraid of. 2 (fear for) be anxious about. 3 archaic regard (God) with reverence and awe

We have a few words to describe this emotion in English such as: scared, anxiety, terror, panic, and bewilderment. All of these words carry the same meaning and are nearly synonymous to one another.

Arabic, on the other hand, has a considerable amount of words to describe fear; each with a different detail and connotation. The Qur’an alone has more than 10 words for fear!

Here is a brief analysis of some of the words used in the Qur’an for fear:

Khawf خوف

Khawf is a perceived danger and a fear of something that is physical. Khawf is the type of fear you’d feel if a dog began to chase you.

Allah ta’ala says:

وَأَمَّا مَنْ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِ وَنَهَى النَّفْسَ عَنِ الْهَوَىٰ

“But as for him who feared (khawf) standing before his Lord, and restrained himself from impure evil desires and lusts.” (79:40)

The Believer has a fear of something that is manifest and real, which is captured in this ayah by the use of khawf. Allah azza wa jal did not say in this ayah that the person fears their Lord, but fears the standing before his Lord, and as a result of this fear, he protected himself from lusts and desires.

On the other hand, Allah says about the disbelievers:

لَّا يَخَافُونَ الْآخِرَةَ

“They do not fear (khawf) the hereafter.” (74:53)

In another ayah, Allah describes His blessings upon the Quraysh:

الَّذِي أَطْعَمَهُم مِّن جُوعٍ وَآمَنَهُم مِّنْ خَوْفٍ

“(He) Who has fed them against hunger, and has made them safe from fear (khawf).” (106:4)

While most of tribes of Arabia worried about being invaded or of a war, Allah ta’ala protected the Quraysh from this danger and granted them safety in Makkah.

Khashyah خشية

Khashyah is a fear as a result of knowledge and leads to action. It is when you know the greatness and magnitude of what you fear, and as a result, have an awe and reverence of it.

Allah ta’ala tells the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam:

إِنَّمَا تُنذِرُ مَنِ اتَّبَعَ الذِّكْرَ وَخَشِيَ الرَّحْمَـٰنَ بِالْغَيْبِ

You can only warn him who follows the Reminder, and fears (khashyah) the Most Merciful unseen.(36:11)

Allah ta’ala describes the one who will benefit from the Qur’an: he has khashyah of Ar-Rahmaan. By using the Name of Allah, Ar-Rahmaan, it shows the level of their khashyah. We fear Al Jabbaar (The Compellor) and Al Azeez (The All Mighty), but to fear Ar-Rahmaan, The Most Merciful, is the height of true fear of Allah. These people have khashyah of Allah bil ghayb, in the unseen can be interpreted two ways: they fear Allah and have an awe of Him when they are alone and they fear Allah and have an awe of Him even though they do not see Him azza wa jal.

In the famous ayah that most of us know, Allah ta’ala says:

إِنَّمَا يَخْشَى اللَّهَ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ الْعُلَمَاءُ

“It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allah.” (35:28)

Imam ibn Katheer rahimahullah states with regards to this ayah, “only those who have knowledge truly fear Him as He should be feared, because the more they know about the Almighty, All-Powerful, All-Knowing Who has the most perfect Attributes and is described with the most beautiful Names, the more they will fear Him.”

Khushoo’ خشوع

Khushoo’ is a fear that is manifested not only in your heart but it is shown on your face and limbs. Khushoo’ literally means to bend down and to become still. Khushoo’ is used for the submissiveness of the heart which is reflected on the limbs.

Allah ta’ala states,

قَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ

“Successful indeed are the believers,” (23:1)

And the first quality of these successful believers:

الَّذِينَ هُمْ فِي صَلَاتِهِمْ خَاشِعُونَ

“Those who offer their Salat (prayers) with all solemnity and full submissiveness.” (23:2)

This is the kind of fear that we should have in salah; this fear should be present on our faces and not just in our hearts. If the heart has khushoo’, the body will have khushoo’. So khushoo’ is not just a state of the heart, it is a state of the heart which is visible on a person’s actions, in their posture, and in their movements.

In this dunya, the believers have this khushoo’, but in the aakhirah Allah states about the Disbelievers:

أَبْصَارُهَا خَاشِعَةٌ

“Their eyes will be downcast.” (79:9)

These eyes that did not humble themselves to Allah in the dunya, will have fear in the aakhirah. This fear will be apparent on their faces; faces that are full of shame, humiliation and abasement.

Taqwa تقوى

Taqwa is the most common word used for fear. It comes from the root wiqaayah which means to protect and is used for a shield.Taqwa is to protect yourself from the consequences of your own actions. It is to protect yourself in two ways: to abandon sinning and adorn yourself with good deeds because you fear the punishment of Allah.

Allah ta’ala says in the ayaat of Hajj,

وَتَزَوَّدُوا فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ الزَّادِ التَّقْوَىٰ

“And take a provision (with you) for the journey, but the best provision is At-Taqwa” (2:197)

This ayah is beautiful because Allah ta’ala commands us to take provisions during Hajj, that is true reliance upon Allah, but He also advises us to take the provision of the hereafter which is taqwa.

During Hajj, you are tested with many things and you must also keep away from certain actions that are otherwise halaal for you to do. The only way one can restrain themselves and be patient during Hajj is to have taqwa of Allah.

Hadthr حذر

Hadthr is to escape something out of fear and cautiousness because you are in proximity of it. Allah azza wa jal uses this type of fear to describe the hypocrites in many ayaat. He says:

يَحْذَرُ الْمُنَافِقُونَ أَن تُنَزَّلَ عَلَيْهِمْ سُورَةٌ تُنَبِّئُهُم بِمَا فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ

“The hypocrites fear (hadthr) lest a Surah should be revealed about them, showing them what is in their hearts.” (9:64)

Raa’a راع

Rau’ is to startle someone, or to show up out of nowhere and so the person becomes alarmed. It is also defined as to respect combined with fear. This word only appears once in the Qur’an to describe the panic that Ibrahim alayhi salaam felt panic when the Angels refused the food that he offered them:

فَلَمَّا ذَهَبَ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الرَّوْعُ وَجَاءَتْهُ الْبُشْرَىٰ يُجَادِلُنَا فِي قَوْمِ لُوطٍ

Then when the fear (rau’) had gone away from Ibrahim, and the glad tidings had reached him, he began to plead with Us (Our messengers) for the people of Lut.” (11:74)

Wajas وجس

Wajas is a fear when you hear news that scared you. It also means to hide your fear within you so that you don’t let the person or thing scaring you know that you are scared.

Ibrahim was scared of the angels but he did not let them see his fear:

فَلَمَّا رَأَىٰ أَيْدِيَهُمْ لَا تَصِلُ إِلَيْهِ نَكِرَهُمْ وَأَوْجَسَ مِنْهُمْ خِيفَةً

“But when he saw their hands went not towards it (the meal), he mistrusted them, and conceived a fear (wajas) of them.” (11:70)

Musa alayhi salaam also felt this hidden fear after he saw what the magicians could do with their staffs:

فَأَوْجَسَ فِي نَفْسِهِ خِيفَةً مُّوسَىٰ

So Musa conceived fear (wajas) in himself. (20:67)

Wajl وجل

Wajl is to have a fear that penetrates deep in your heart. It is a fear in which a person trembles and shivers. The word “mawjil”, from the same root, is a depressed ground for a large deep hole. When you come upon a huge hole in the ground out of nowhere, you are immediately shaken with fear.

This is how Allah ta’ala describes the hearts of the believers; they are immediately awe-struck and the fear of Him penetrates deep into their hearts:

إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِرَ اللَّهُ وَجِلَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ

“The believers are only those who, when Allah is mentioned, feel a fear (wajl) in their hearts.” (8:2)

Rahb رهب

Rahb is that kind of a fear that makes you very alert, very careful and does not let you relax. This is the type of fear that students feel during exam time: restless, careful, and concern for passing. It is also fear that you are afraid that you will disappoint the one you love.

Allah azza wa jal commands us to have this fear of Him:

إِنَّمَا هُوَ إِلَـٰهٌ وَاحِدٌ ۖ فَإِيَّايَ فَارْهَبُونِ

Verily, He is (the) only One Deity. Then, fear Me much. (16:51)

The believers call upon Allah while fearing (rahbah) Him, and hoping (raghbah) in Him. Who knows which duaa these two words are mentioned from the sunnah? Post in the comments inshaAllah if you know!

Rahb is also defined as a fear that one has in which he is concerned about saving himself. Allah ta’ala described the hypocrites as being more concerned about saving themselves from the Muslims instead of saving themselves from Allah:

لَأَنتُمْ أَشَدُّ رَهْبَةً فِي صُدُورِهِم مِّنَ اللَّهِ ۚ ذَ‌ٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ لَّا يَفْقَهُونَ

“Verily, you are more fearful (rahbah) in their breasts than Allah. That is because they are a people who comprehend not.” (59:13)

Ru’b رعب

Ru’b is to be overwhelmed with fear and terror that makes you lose your reason.

Allah ta’ala placed this fear in the hearts of the mushriks of Makkah during the battle of Badr:

إِذْ يُوحِي رَبُّكَ إِلَى الْمَلَائِكَةِ أَنِّي مَعَكُمْ فَثَبِّتُوا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا ۚ سَأُلْقِي فِي قُلُوبِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا الرُّعْبَ

“(Remember) when your Lord revealed to the angels, “Verily, I am with you, so keep firm those who have believed. I will cast terror (ru’b) into the hearts of those who have disbelieved.” (8:12)

Ru’b is also used to describe the reaction of a person if they entered upon the Companions of the Cave:

لَوِ اطَّلَعْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ لَوَلَّيْتَ مِنْهُمْ فِرَارًا وَلَمُلِئْتَ مِنْهُمْ رُعْبًا

Had you looked at them, you would certainly have turned back from them in flight, and would certainly have been filled with awe (ru’b) of them. (18:18)

Allah made the cave so that no person would be able to remain there, such as a passerby, because the atmosphere was made that the person would feel fright so they would not be able to stay, but rather run in terror.

Shafaq شفق

Shafaq has many meanings in its different forms. Ashfaqa is that fear that some harm will come to a person you love, it is a fear that is mixed with love, such as the love of a mother for her children; she is fearful out of love for them.

The Believers will reminisce in Jannah:

قَالُوا إِنَّا كُنَّا قَبْلُ فِي أَهْلِنَا مُشْفِقِينَ

“Saying: “Aforetime, we were afraid (shafaq) in the midst of our families.” (52:26)

This ayah can be interpreted in two ways: Firstly, the believers, even amongst their families, feared Allah and secondly, they had this shafaq for their families, they were afraid for the aakhirah of their families.

While the believers were mushfiqeen in the dunya, the disbelievers will be mushfiqeen in the aakhirah.

تَرَى الظَّالِمِينَ مُشْفِقِينَ مِمَّا كَسَبُوا وَهُوَ وَاقِعٌ بِهِمْ

“You will see thewrong-doers fearful (shafaq) of that which they have earned, and it (the punishment) will surely befall them.” (42:22)

When this word is followed by من, min, such as this ayah, it does not mean love at all but rather a fear in the heart such as apprehension, anxiety, concern and worry.Try and imagine the fear and worry they will feel knowing that Hell-Fire awaits them. Either you are mushfiq now, or will be mushfiq later.

Wajf وجف

Wajf is a fear mixed with discomfort. It is when your heart pounds and palpitates so hard out of fear. Iti s to be agitated in a disturbed condition. Awjaftul Khayl means ‘I made my horse race forward by making its heart race.’

Allah azza wa jal depicts for us the Day of Judgment:

قُلُوبٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ وَاجِفَةٌ

“hearts that day will be full of terror.” (79:8)

By not putting an “al” (alif-laam, ال) on quloob, it shows that only some hearts will have this fear on that Day. Some hearts that day will be beating out of their chests. Also the sentence structure illustrates that these hearts are not scared at the moment, right now they have peace, but on that Day they will experience wajf. Furthermore in the above ayah, waajifah is an ism faa’il (someone who does an act), so their hearts will be start pounding and it will not come to rest. The terror will not subside.

….Another lesson as to why translations will never do justice to the Qur’an, and is a small taste of the intricacies of the Arabic language.

Quiz for the readers: search for some ayaat that COMBINE a few of these words, and see if you can understand the different meanings

here’s an example:

وَمَن يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَيَخْشَ اللَّهَ وَيَتَّقْهِ فَأُولَـٰئِكَ هُمُ الْفَائِزُونَ

And whosoever obeys Allah and His Messenger, fears Allah, and keeps his duty (to Him), such are the successful.(24:52) This ayah combines Khashyah and Taqwa. (hint: you can use a search engine like: www.searchtruth.com)

We ask Allah ta’ala to benefit us from what we learn, to make us among those who take heed of the reminder, those who study His Book and act upon its lessons, and those who enter Firdaws Al ‘Alaa. Ameen.

And Allah is Most Knowing.

The Dar

Residential Architecture

in Islamic Civilization

Dr. Khaled Azab(*)

The subject of Islamic residential architecture is closely related to Islam's teachings on family life and living style as the family is considered the nucleus of society. In Islam, the home's privacy is highly respected and no one is allowed to violate this privacy by peeking at the house interior or its inhabitants. Allah decreed the sanctity of the home and warned against its violation, thus conferring much respect on the abode, not so much for its architectural value as for the people inhabiting it. From an Islamic perspective, the home is a social unit where the structure cannot be dissociated from the family living inside it. In fact, family needs, as they were addressed in Islam, were the factor determining the design of a house. The house was built from inside out and not the other way around. The family defined its housing needs with the help of the builder and according to its financial means. This entailed a true participatory approach involving the house owner and the architect. In general, houses in Islamic architecture appeared simple and similar in design and were often white-washed in a way much similar to the houses in Granada(1).

The Almighty says in the noble verse: 'O ye who believe! Enter not houses other than your own, until ye have asked permission and saluted those in them: that is best for you, in order that ye may heed (what is seemly)'(2). Allah (SWT) thus decrees that permission be sought before entering a house. For such purpose, the wooden doors of old houses were fitted with a knocker. This knocker was often metallic and the most simple in design consisted of a metal piece on which a wooden device was mounted, the two connected to the door with a flexible joint(3). The visitor uses the knocker to tap on the door three times. If permission to enter the house is not granted, the visitor goes away. In modern times, the knocker has been replaced with new and more advanced instruments.

In most old houses, the entrance hallway is laid out at a 90 degree slant to prevent outsiders from seeing into the interior of the house and its inhabitants when the doors are open. Slanted entrances were extensively used in houses in Al Fustat(4) and Baghdad, for example.

The entrance often leads onto a courtyard in the centre of the house. The inner courtyard, considered the main activity hub of the house, serves many purposes, namely:

Climate modification: This consists of obtaining cooler temperatures within the courtyard. This is achieved thanks to the shade cast by the courtyard's opposing walls and the existence of water features which favor humidification -fountains- and therefore a drop in temperature, and the reflection of part of the sunrays, thus reducing the absorption of heat. The presence of foliage is also a factor in ensuring climate mildness. In order to provide proper ventilation while preventing pollution, the courtyard, with its cool temperature serves as a high pressure environment while the outside (street) provides as an outlet area (low pressure). Thus, an air current is always flowing from the courtyard towards the street. This ensures pollution-free ventilation and tempers the internal atmosphere. All of this is made possible through the creation of intelligently placed openings that guarantee proper ventilation of the various sections of the house.

The courtyard also plays an important role in trapping the cool air which seeps during the night through the thick walls and rooftops. This allows a minimal use of external windows, and using the basement passageways which slowly absorb heat and humidity. Furthermore, and as the house is encased on three sides by neighbouring houses, its exposure to sunrays is tangibly reduced. Temperature measurements taken at surface and underground levels revealed temperature differences in some old houses in Al Kazmiyya of up to twenty degrees in some cases. A temperature disparity of 18 degrees was noted between the ground floor and subterranean spaces at noon on a summer day. This temperature difference may vary by about four degrees when the courtyard is covered with a cloth canopy. The thickness of the walls in Baghdadi houses, reaching sometimes one meter, has contributed to increasing the temperature's 'delay', a delay that at times reached 7 to 12 hours(5).

Islamic houses stand out in design and architecture by their tremendous harmony with their environment. This is most noticeable in the orientation of these houses. In Damascus, for example, houses span out in a rectangular shape from north to south with a 20 degree westward incline to ensure that they benefit from the southern sun rays and avoid the northern and western winds(6). The element of sun canopies in Islamic houses was widely used in Egypt and Syria, as well as in Emirati houses. These shamsiyyat consisted of a panel of gypsum inlaid with coloured glass which allows multi-coloured sunrays to filter into houses. In arid Saharan environments such as in the Emirates, it allows light in and prevents dust-laden winds from entering the house(7).

Tranquillity: Noise levels in modern cities are certainly beginning to threaten the psychological serenity and wellbeing of the population. The most important source of noise is the street which is crisscrossed by tremendous numbers of diverse vehicles which make a liberal use of annoying horns. Even in countries where the use of horns is banned, the large number of engines relying on air for their cooling has become in itself a source of disturbance. About 70% of the noise filters into the houses through the openings looking onto the street. Naturally, in the case of courtyard houses where openings onto the exterior are reduced to the minimum, the noise penetration will occur in far lesser extents.

Privacy: The desire for privacy is one of the main motivations behind the choice of the courtyard as a crucial element in Islamic house planning. The in-depth analysis of the social aspects of this planning reveals that the courtyard plays a vital role as the focal point of the family's social interactions. It sets the scene for weaving family bonds and is usually used to host the various social activities, all the while preserving total privacy(8).

House planning in Islamic architecture evolved with time, allowing us to see the clear progression of these houses at the various phases they went through. The various elements of this planning were conceived according to an Islamic vision. Special wings were dedicated to the male guests of the master of the house. These guest-destined wings were often set apart from the remaining units of the house and were known as the salamlek.

In the houses of Ar-Rasheed, a town situated in the north of Egypt, the first floor was usually reserved for guests. The staircase leading to the guest quarters came to an end on the landing of the second floor, and another staircase started from somewhere inside the second floor and other floors of the house. This reflected a desire to isolate the various floors of the house where the master and his family live from the guest quarters. When food needed to be served to the guests in the upper guestrooms, a secret staircase located in one of the rooms was used. This was, for example, the case in Ramadan when the women of the house would place all the food on the table and leave. Once the table was fully laid, the guest was shown into the room where he would see the ready platters without having an inkling as to where the food had come from. Always in Ar-Rasheed, another cunning innovation used was the serving cupboard. This was a revolving cupboard fitted into the wall and made up of two shelves on which the food platters were placed. The cupboard was then turned from the outside into the guest quarters where the house master presents the food set on the shelves to his quests. This ingenuous system was used in two houses of Ar-Rasheed, namely the houses of Baqrawli and Gibri. The system was also used in the West in restaurants and hotels to isolate the kitchen from the dining area. We imitated this idea without realising that it was rooted in our own Arab cultural heritage.

Architects were not oblivious to the fact that women sometimes needed to be present in the reception area for such matters discussed by men as engagements, marriage or inheritance. To cater to this need, overhanging corridors were designed above reception areas and covered with lattice woodwork panels to allow women to hear and see from the openings without being seen. Such additions were widely used during the Mamluke era in Cairo. In some houses, such as that of Al Razzaz in Cairo, special reception areas were reserved for females, thus allowing the mistress of the house to receive her own visitors in all privacy.Pic of The Masharabiya above (for womens' privacy)

Muslims have always been anxious to provide all comfort to their guests, especially the spiritual one. To provide such comfort, old Yemenite houses always contained an architectural element called the 'Mufraj', a terrace on the roof of the house reserved for guests, meetings and leisure. The terrace usually provided a view of the whole town and its scenic surroundings and was also called the 'mandar' or 'mandara'. One specific feature of this place is the large windows which provide the guests with the unhindered visual pleasure of the natural scenery. The mufraj is also referred to as the Large Room because it happens to be the largest room in the house. However, the Mufraj is not always built in the upper levels of the house. Sometimes it is an independent pavilion standing in the garden, overlooking a fountain and surrounded by flowery shrubs and trees.

The Mufraj plays an important part in Yemenite social life. In addition to being a guest house, it also serves as the venue of parties and celebrations. As such, it is the centre of much attention and care on the part of the house master who invests much time and effort in decorating it and adorning its walls with tapestries, plates and other ornaments. Several openings and windows are set into the Mufraj's walls and its walls are embellished with gypsum decorations and a set of upper windows(9).

Emirati houses, particularly those of wealthy people, have a similar element represented in the majlis, a space dedicated to receiving people and which has two doors, one opening onto the street and the other leading into the house(10).

The Muslim builds his house in orde to live in it with his extended family. With this in mind, the house's structure usually allows for horizontal and vertical expansion to accommodate increasing needs that may arise from the marriage of one of the sons or new births, and as allowed by the topographic nature of the flat or mountainous landscape. Islamic houses were characterised by the structure's excellent design functionality. Building materials were derived from the surrounding environment, the dry mud in the deltas of rivers and riverbanks, ceilings made from palm branches or domes from gypsum with marvellous yet simple arches which trap the internal cooling of the house and keep the scorching heat by reflecting sunrays outside, from the coral reefs of the seas, and from silt deposits, while palm trees or wood provide the roofing materials. In mountainous environments, houses were built from rock and were multi-storeyed to counterbalance the lack of space and meet the various and growing needs of the Muslim household for guests, children, spaces for performing religious rites, and for leisure and relaxing in the moonlight under the sky's canopy. In environments that combined mountains and flatlands, the houses were large and horizontally laid out, the walls were from rock and mud and the ceilings were from palm trunks.

The facades of Muslim houses are in most cases exquisitely decorated. However, we will linger at the houses in Sanaa where the facades are so exquisite that one believes them to be the artwork of creative craftsmen. Unlike the facades of houses in other parts of the Islamic world, facades of houses in Sanaa are similar. This similarity is owed to the fact that these facades serve an architectural and artistic function that truly reflects the need they were created to fulfil. No matter how myriad, the shape and diameter of window openings truly express at all times the need for which they were made. The end result is an extraordinary aesthetic display with an explosion of designs and decorations. The facades of Sanaa houses have the peculiarity of false windows which are painted on to look real, particularly in the floors housing the female members of the household. Builders have resorted to this subterfuge to preserve the perfect and beautiful symmetry between the parts of the façade sporting windows and those that do not. Facades in Sanaa present a wonderful amalgam of shapes with small, large, rectangular and circular windows fashioned with a pleasant spontaneity and naivety. The end result is a beautiful display free from dull repetition or disharmony. Above these windows one often sees wooden overhangs shading the window apertures. These are locally known as 'Kunna' and are fastened onto wooden bars affixed to the walls. These canopies protect the adorned windows from rainwater which may spoil them, and add further beauty to facades that are already lavish with geometrical, animal and floral designs(11).

Inscriptions are also a common feature in Islamic houses. One of these famous inscriptions is found in an orphanage. An author writes how he saw, while walking the streets of Cairo, or Al Fustant then, a house of which the door carried the following inscription in verse:

This house of ours belongs to the guest in it

Equal to us is the passer-by

Let the visitor be the master

For in his rule he shall be right and just

From us he shall have all his heart's desire

But not that which the Creator has proscribed

By Allah, we fear neither need nor poverty

For Allah is the One to withhold

And Allah is One to bestow(12)

In the town of Ar-Rasheed, the passageways leading into some houses are decorated with inscriptions giving information about the date of the house construction, as in the house of Al Amseeli, or professing the unity of Allah through the words 'There is no God but Allah' laid out in fine mosaics, as in the house of Makki. The main reception areas may also be decorated with Al Aboussairi's poem 'Al Burda' as in the house of Makki in Ar-Rasheed and the house of Arazzaz in Cairo.

Muslim households paid great attention to another element, namely the rights of their neighbours. This attention became manifest very early in their history. In Al Fustat, a historical incident related to this issue was reported as follows: Khareja Ibn Hudafa was the first person to build a room above his lodgings. Amru Ibn Al Aas reported this to Omar Ibn Al Khattab who then wrote to Amru saying: I instruct you to go into the room built by Khareja, set up a bed (meaning a chair) and have a man of medium height seated on it. If the man manages to see outside through the room window, then demolish that room. Amru did as instructed and since he could not see out of the room's window, he let the room be. This incident meant that whoever built a room higher than his own house had to respect the privacy of his neighbour and not overlook his house. As a result, a rule was adopted in architectural law, namely the rule on the harm of exposure(13).

The patterns of Islamic houses are numerous. We see them in Samarqand, Sanaa, Fez, Ispahan, Baghdad and Cordoba. They are rich with the jewels of Islamic architecture and stand proud as representatives of the civilizational heritage of our Islamic Ummah.

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(*) Dr Azab is an academic researcher specialized in Islamic architecture and heads the Information Directorate at the Alexandria Library.

(1) Dr. Yusuf Shukri Farahat: Granada under the Bani Ahmar Reign, page 124, University Institution, Beirut, 1982.

(2) Annur, verse 27.

(3) Ghazi Rajab: Fortress Houses in Yemen, page 61, Sumar Magazine, Vol. 37, 1401AH, Directorate of Antiquities, Baghdad.

(4) Ahmed Abdulrazik: Traditional Houses of Al Fustat, page 9, Arab Museum Magazine, year 4, issue 1, 1409AH, Kuwait National Museum, Kuwait.

(5) Ihssan Fathi and John Warren: Traditional Homes in Baghdad, page 102, Arab City Magazine, issue 17, 4th year (1986), Arab Institute for City Development, Riyadh.

(6) Dr Afif Bahnassi: Greater Syria: A Brief Architectural and Artistic Overview, page 56, Dar Arrachid, Baghdad, 1980.

(7) Bassam Daghestani: Lattice Woodwork, Stucco and Glass in the United Arab Emirates, page 3, a study presented at a symposium on handcrafts in Islamic architecture, Cairo, 1995.

(8) Ali Bassiouni: The Courtyard as an Essential Component in Arab Cities, Arab City Magazine, page 87, Arab Institute for City Development, Riyadh, 1981.

(9) Ghazi Raghab, ibid, page 163.

(10) Dr. Nacer Hussein El Abboudi: Studies in Emirati Monuments and Heritage, page 182, Cultural Academy, Abu Dhabi, 1990.

(11) Abdullah Al Haddad: Sanaa: Its History and Historical Houses, pages 52-53, Heritage Cities Series, Dar Al Afaq Al Arabiyya, Cairo, 1999.

(12) Dr. Khaled Azab: Birth, Rise and fall of Al Fustat, page 167, Heritage Cities Series, Dar Al Afaq Al Arabiyya, Cairo, 1998

(13) Dr. Khaled Azab: Fiqh of Islamic Architecture, pp. 48-49, University Press House, Cairo, 1998